Day 77

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Rev 3:20 NASB.

Jesus presents Himself as standing outside the door into Laodicea, knocking and seeking an invitation to enter. Philadelphia’s door is the open door of salvation, Jesus holds it open and no one can shut it. But the shut door here is not shut by Jesus but by Laodicea itself. It is an allusion to the Song of Solomon and actually has sexual overtones. Note the story behind this text.

“I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking:

‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.’

‘I have taken off my robe–must I put it on again? I have washed my feet–must I soil them again?’

… I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.” Read the full story in Song of Solomon 5:2-6, NIV.

Back in the time of Solomon kings had many wives (Solomon had 700) who were housed in a harem. The Song of Solomon is the story of a particular woman in Solomon’s harem, who may have been his favourite. She had been hoping he would come for her that night. She waited, waited, and finally gave up and went to sleep. Then he comes! But in her sleepiness, she did not jump up and invite him in. “No, not now. I don’t feel like getting up and putting my robe on again. My feet might get dirty on the floor.” Finally, she has a change of heart and runs to the door and opens it. The tragedy is that he is already gone.

This is a scary scenario when applied to a church. Jesus does not force His way in but allows her to make the choice. The message here is that there is no time to lose. If Laodicea does not act soon, it will be too late.